West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-10-21

candidates, aside from It's being an
actual sale of nominations and a
means of drawing from the public
Treasury the funds required for par
ty purposes, a direct encouragement
to corruption in public office? More
over, does it not give adecided pref
ercnce for public preferment to
those who are devoid of honorable
sensitiveness and likely to prove un-
scrupulous, and virtually shut out
the most high-minded citizens2
But what is the excuse for putting
up nominations for sale in this man
ner? Mr.. William Nj. WINS, in his
book on "Machine Politics and
Money in Elections in New York
City," says that each of the Demo
cratic organizations usually distrib
utes from SIS to 800 at each of the
S12 polling places in the city on cleo
ton day. This is nominally to pay
men who distribute ballots and look
after the interests Of candidates. If
the maximum figures are taken, over
$4,000 is expended for this pur-
pose, which at SIS a day for each
man would employ more than 49,
900 persons. Each of these men
will Of course be expected to vote for
the ticket he is engaged in peddling,
and the force is in itself about one
fourth of the Democratic voters of
the city, who are thus practically
hired and paid for their votes.
Whether the force actually employ
ed is so great or not, there is no
doubt that fully that number of
votes are secured by the distribu-
ton of this fund. Then there is the
expense of printing and folding the
ballots, which Mr. WINS puts at
$50, 900 for each Of the organizations
besides the cost of public meetings,
committees, DC.
A considerable portion Of these
expenses, which are regarded by
politicians as Legitimate" are real
ly for the purpose of direct and in
direct corruption of the ballot box.
1t is, of course, necessary to have
ballots printed and distributed, and
it is this necessity that serves as
the pretext and the cover for this
practice of raising large party
fund and of imposing assessments
upon candidates. But great deal
more money is raised and used,nom-
inally for this purpose, than is at all
necessary. But none ought to be
necessary at all, and if the necessity
were removed this enormous evil
might be speedily remedied. The
printing and distribution Of ballots
should be. paid for as a public ex-
pense, and if the English method of
furnishing ballots containing the
names of all the candidates, the vo-
ter setting Il mark against the one
for whom he votes, were adopted, the
whole work OF distribution would be
simplified and no mans vote would
be bought by hiring him to work at
the polls.
But whatever the system, the
practice of assessing candidates is
most vicious and corrupting one. 1t
has corrupting effect upon the
candidates themselves, and is used
as q means Of corrupting voters. 1t
stands in the way of the nomination
of pure and upright men, and gives
an advantage to those having mon
ey, whether honorably or dishonor-
ably gained. 1t gives to a political
machine the control of a number Of
votes. which makes it extremely diff
ficult to dislodge it from power, how
ever corrupt its course may be, and
it enables the politicians to distrib-
ute offices among themselves at the
expense of the people, and they are
therefore interested in perpetuating
the system. 1t can only be got rid
of when the people fully appreciate
its enormous evils and are sufficient
" aroused to overthrow the ma.
chimes which are supported by it
and which will use all their power
to maintain it.